As students transition from Early Childhood to the Elementary grades, the concentric circles of their understanding of the world begin to widen. Using the Project Approach, the Second Grade study of the Capitol Hill neighborhood provides a tangible entryway for students to begin looking beyond themselves and their immediate surroundings of home and school to the larger community that surrounds them. Capitol Hill Day School’s unique setting within the historic neighborhood of Capitol Hill allows children to consider typical neighborhood elements such as homes, parks, transportation methods, and local businesses, while also giving them a glimpse into the roles of larger institutions that dot the landscape, such as the U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court, and the Library of Congress.

Over the course of each unit, students engage in field research designed to propel their thinking forward, to challenge assumptions, and to provide opportunities to find answers to questions from primary resources. Students learn how to take field notes, interview experts, record findings, and organize data, as they create posters in small, cooperative groups to showcase their findings. Social Studies, Writing, and Math are all integrated, and the resulting work includes various representations of learning. In the past, these have ranged from a podcast or book about Capitol Hill to hand-folded three-dimensional models of buildings, which we display and share with families at a celebratory event. We also deliberately make space to engage students in thoughtful, developmentally appropriate discussions about access and privilege in an effort to consider ways to redistribute power, paving the way for service learning opportunities.

While many of our field education destinations remain constant, each year classes provide their own flavor as they select what they want to research in more depth. For example, one year, an interest in the military led to a visit to the Marine Barracks, while another class wondered about religion and investigated why there were many churches but no synagogues. Following a visit with the manager of Eastern Market, as well as conversations about families shopping at mainstream grocery stores, our social justice lens led one group to ask questions about food access for all neighborhood residents. This in turn prompted students to visit a local food bank, invite a social worker to answer questions about causes of homelessness, and explore their understanding and capacity for activism on these issues. 

Overarching themes for the year in Third Grade include exploration, community, relationships, and perspective.
Third Grade investigates exploration through navigation and mapping, and showcases their learning through projects that are integrated with math and writing during the year. Students also learn about the pivotal influence of geography and the environment in the daily lives of Native Americans and explorers. 

Throughout the year, Third Grade revisits the importance of social awareness, being respectful and kind to others, and how to be a responsible member of the community. Teamwork and the coaching of how to make appropriate decisions that positively affect them and their classmates are emphasized. As students branch out into literature and social studies content, they investigate how personal responsibilities and power dynamics create disputes or shape government in both Native American and explorer communities. 
The themes of community, relationships, and perspectives are further examined through literature studies. Third Graders begin their year with an author study on Patricia Polacco. Her writing highlights historical events and cultural traditions. The themes in Polacco’s stories are used to approach social awareness and emphasize the importance of kindness. Students read a variety of her books and compare and contrast the characters, plots, and events in her stories. 

Throughout the year, students dive into examining what aspects from authors' lives influence their writing. Through reading a variety of books, they compare and contrast the characters, plots and events in stories. Students explore various writing formats such as letter writing, perspective journal entries, and small moment stories. 

Our approach at the Elementary level emphasizes intentionality and cross-curricular learning, thoughtful connections to the rich field resources of the Washington area, a growing understanding of self, and supporting students in taking personal responsibility for navigating healthy social interactions in their immediate community and beyond. As children leave the elementary grades, our goal is to develop life-long, self-reliant learners who can think critically, solve problems, and express themselves in a variety of ways.

Nine and ten year olds are increasingly independent, forging their own identity through reflection and self-expression. They are also beginning to see the greater world and their place in it, including issues of justice and fairness. Perspective taking becomes a window to explore their place in the world.  Starting with comparisons between their own rich culture and the cultures in West African nations, enslavement and its lasting impacts, as well as the lives and treatment of various immigrants in America. These multiple viewpoints create opportunities for robust discussions about justice and fairness. Literature choices invoke these same themes as students collaboratively and independently strive to see how their personal actions influence the world around them. This year-long study culminates in the students’ first overnight field education experience, a trip to New York City and Ellis Island, to glean firsthand insights on how moments of history have shaped the immigrant experience.

Finally, students exercise their growing independence by becoming “big” buddies for the first time. Paired with new Early Childhood prekindergarten students, a relationship that continues until the Fourth Graders graduate from Capitol Hill Day School.